Amsterdam Halloween 2024

Join a Halloween Parade!
Amsterdam Mamas Spooktacular is back! On Sunday 27 October gather together in your best costumes and parade around Beatrixpark with fellow ghosts, goblins, wizards and superheroes! Information and tickets available through our website. For the littlest monsters, up to age 8.

Trick or Treat!
What could be more fun for kids than going door to door in costume, with a goodie bag, ringing the doorbell, shouting “Trick or treat!” and (hopefully) receiving candy?

Trick or treating is NOT tradition in the Netherlands so the trick or treating that happens is privately managed. There are neighbourhoods in Zuid, Buitenveldert and Steigereiland Noord in Ijburg that have active trick or treating. Here is a map of homes participating in trick or treating this year. Consider becoming a host home yourself! It is really fun to decorate the house and see all the creative costumes and happy children. Speaking of which…

Dress up and Decorate!
Whether you are hosting trick or treaters or your own Halloween party, here are some popular local businesses ready to supply you with all your Halloween gear:

• Kinderfeestwinkel: This children’s party store in De Pijp has everything you need for a Halloween party or any other party throughout the year. Warning: if your child adores big, flouncy, tutu style skirts you may not leave the store without one.
• Witbaard: Oodles of Halloween stuff – both scary and fun. Check out the huge collection of children’s costumes upstairs! Witbaard is also located close to Duikelman in case you need to visit an amazing culinary supply store for Halloween-themed cookie cutters or sharp knives for carving pumpkins.
• Louis Wittenburg, around since 1901, knows its business and is ready to supply all of the Halloween needs of our Centrum dwelling families.
• Dam in Oost has an incredible array of Halloween and many other holiday items. You can shop in-store or order online.

Carve a Pumpkin!
There are pumpkins in many grocery stores this time of year, as well as in garden centres. Don’t limit yourself to classic orange pumpkins – green, white, and yellow gourds add to the fun. Here are some ideas for beginners and more advanced carvers. Alternatively, for those who prefer not to have pumpkin flesh and seeds on the kitchen floors, consider joining a pumpkin carving workshop for children.

Get a Fright!

Halloween can be enjoyed out on the town as well.

For younger children, The Science Camp is hosting a Haunted House on Saturday 2 November. Adolescents or teens will be thrilled at the Amsterdam Dungeon which has extended hours on Saturday 26 October as well as Halloween itself. Reserve tickets now as they sell fast. Older teens (16+) can try to escape from the Amsterdam Catacombs – this escape room only minutes from Central Station will be sure to give chills and thrills.

Further afield is Walibi, a theme park about an hour’s drive from Amsterdam. During the weeks up to and just after Halloween, Walibi hosts Fright Nights for children over 12 and Spooky Days for children up to 12.

Watch a Movie! My kids are either bored or terrified by the movies I remember from my (admittedly long ago) childhood. Thankfully, there are guides for kid-friendly Halloween movies and where they are streaming. Popcorn, costumes, and a good spooky movie—you’ve got this Halloween covered!

When the kids go to bed, all of you Dutch learners/scary movie aficionados might consider watching the Dutch film The Vanishing (available for rent on Apple TV) based on the story The Golden Egg by native Amsterdammer Tim Krabbé (brother of actor Jeroen Krabbé). It was made into a Hollywood film (with a very young Sandra Bullock) but the original is much scarier – Stanley Kubrick called it the scariest movie he’d ever seen. And it’s good practice for your Dutch!

Halloween Travel in Europe

For many people, Halloween 2024 falls in the middle of Herfstvakantie. If you’re heading out of Amsterdam, consider traveling to some spooky destinations throughout Europe. Amsterdam Mama’s contributor Mary Petiet compiled a list of spooky Halloween destinations all over Europe, including two from here in the Netherlands

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I start this review off with a disclosure: Mary Petiet and I have worked together at Amsterdam Mamas, and I consider her a friend. I have put off reviewing this book partially for this reason, and partially because I have been in pandemic survival mode, like everyone else. However, I gifted my yoga guide with a copy and she told me a few weeks ago how powerful she found it. So, inspired by her objective reaction, I decided to plunge in. After all, if  “Times of change are the times of greatest transformation” why not be a part of it? I could stand some transformation.

What Is Owl Magic?

Owl Magic, Your Guide Through Challenging Times is described on its cover as a “… toolbox of simple anxiety-busting strategies designed to reveal your hidden power.”

“Times of change are the times of greatest transformation” – Mary Petiet

How does it attempt to do this? Inspired by the owl, with its distinctive physical and mythological qualities, Owl Magic present the reader with a new way of seeing their times and their lives. It is a unique blend of comfort and challenge. Petiet makes the case that the challenges and sufferings of this pandemic are not unique in the history of the world; the human world has turned upside down before. In such tumultuous times, old patterns are replaced with new ones, and the relationships between people and power, societal and personal, also change.

Thus the challenge Owl Magic issues, gently, is how we can use this time in our own lives to change our outworn personal patterns, and to tap into our own personal power centers.

Different aspects of the owl serve as the inspiration for each chapter:

• Wisdom and Connection
• Retelling Your Stories
• Transform Through Turmoil
• Assume Abundance
• Face Your Fear
• Plant the Seeds for Future Growth
• Become the Hero of Your Story
• Renewal

Each of the chapters contains a concise and accessible exploration of its theme. Some philosophy, history, and feminist theory provide a framework for the practical guidance which follows:

1) A specific yoga posture connected to the theme of each chapter is suggested and carefully explained. The postures, or asanas, are simple and basic – nothing that requires any training: Owl, Mountain, Warrior, Tree, etc. These postures take on a new life when you understand they are manifesting a psychological reality as much as a physical one.

2) After the yoga posture is a guided meditation: an interior journey within your own imagination, yet following a specific path. The mediations are creative, lovely, and relaxing. At first I found myself wishing they were audios so I didn’t have to keep opening my eyes to read the next instructions, but I got around this eventually by reading them thoroughly beforehand and committing them to memory.

3) Finally, the chapters end with writing prompts: several questions or instructions for personal journaling. The prompts are not threatening and are normally open-ended, such as: 

• What kind of energy are you putting out? 
• Retell your most important stories.
• What is the hardest gift you have ever given?
• Make a list of all the things you fear.
• If you met the Earth Mother, what would you tell her?

Owl Magic is a book best savoured over time rather than done quickly. It would be a wonderful basis for an individual or small group weekend retreat, but it could also serve really well if taken one chapter per week, or per month as desired. It depends on how deep you want to dive, the pace you want to go.

I don’t share all of Petiet’s perspectives on history, religion, women, or owls (!) and this gave me pause, but I was relieved that Owl Magic is in no way a diatribe. It is rather a quiet and compassionate invitation to self-reflection, growth, and capacity building – psychological, spiritual, and physical. And while it may feel particularly pertinent now, during this pandemic, our lives will continue to have their share of these challenging times and Owl Magic can be like an old and trusted friend, visited as often as needed.

Owl Magic: Your Guide Through Challenging Times can be ordered online from Bol, Amazon, and Sea Crow Press.

Amsterdam Mamas received a free copy of this book in exchange for our honest review.

Photo Credit: Sea Crow Press

The post Book Review: Owl Magic: Your Guide Through Challenging Times appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

Halloween, or ‘Hallowed Eve’, falls on 31 October, the night before the Roman Catholic Holy Day of All Saints Day. Originally of Celtic origin, Halloween has transcended countries and cultures; the opportunity to dress up in costume and give frights big and small to other revelers has global appeal.

Amsterdam Halloween 2020

Get a Fright! There are almost no Halloween activities open to the public this year, on account of the public health measures to control the spread of the Coronavirus. However, The Amsterdam Dungeon is marking Halloween with extended hours from 27-30 October and is open for tours until 2 AM Halloween Night. Reserve tickets for their favorite time of year with an extra scary seance show!

Dress up and Decorate! Large gatherings are out this year, but whether it’s your own family or safely-sized small group, costumes and decorations can make Halloween weekend feel very festive. Here are some of our favorite local businesses ready to supply you with all your Halloween gear:

• Kinderfeestwinkel: This children’s party store in De Pijp has everything you need for a Halloween party or any other party throughout the year. Warning: if your child adores big, flouncy, tutu style skirts you may not leave the store without one.
• Witbaard: Oodles of Halloween stuff – both scary and fun. Check out the huge collection of children’s costumes upstairs! Witbaard is also located close to Duikelman  in case you need to visit an amazing culinary supply store for Halloween-themed cookie cutters or sharp knives for carving pumpkins.
• Louis Wittenburg, around since 1901, knows its business and is ready to supply all of the Halloween needs of our Centrum dwelling families and visitors.
• Dam in Oost has an incredible array of Halloween and many other holiday items. You can shop in-store or order online.

Watch a Movie! My kids are either bored or terrified by the movies I remember from my (admittedly long ago) childhood. Thankfully, here is link to current family-friendly fare on Netflix. Popcorn, costumes, and a good spooky movie—you’ve got this Halloween covered!

When the kids go to bed, all of you Dutch learners/scary movie aficionados might consider watching the Dutch film The Vanishing (available for rent on Apple TV) based on the story The Golden Egg by native Amsterdammer Tim Krabbé (brother of actor Jeroen Krabbé). It was made into a Hollywood film (with a very young Sandra Bullock) but the original is much scarier. And it’s good practice for your Dutch!

Spooky within Amsterdam

With names like Blood Street (Bloedstraat) and Spook Alley (Spooksteeg), pragmatic Amsterdam has its share of haunts.

The blood of condemned prisoners is said to have flowed through Blood Street as it drained into the canal, and Spook Alley is the eternal home of the ghost of Helena, who killed her sister in a fit of jealousy. Nearby Dam Square is known after dark as home to the spirits of victims of the witch trials, while the nearby Amsterdam Dungeon, itself built over a medieval cemetery, offers a chilling exhibit of the city’s darker past.

To get the most of Amsterdam’s haunted past, visitors can join a local ghost tour (e.g., The Ghost Walk of Amsterdam), and the Amsterdam Dungeon has a variety of frightening but fun Halloween activities.

A prison from 1580 to 2007, Blokhuispoort has seen its fair share of horrifying incidents — and the victims of those traumas continue to haunt the fortress today.

In the 17th century, people were tortured and publically executed here, and in the 19th and into the 20th centuries, it housed a sick ward with tuberculosis patients. Take a tour through the building, now a museum, to hear the stories of the tragic spirits who continue to roam its dimly lit halls.

Ghost Stories from Netherlands

Read about Aunty Cor, the Jordaan fortune teller who could take revenge on evildoers by conjuring up figures in the flames, or Rixt who lured ships to their doom to steal their bounty until she found her own child in the wreckage, or walled-in nuns, or ghost ships off the Dutch coast … if you are seeking chills they are all here: haunted castles, witches and ghosts.

Halloween Travel in Europe

For people who enjoy getting chills down their spines, Amsterdam Mama’s regular contributor Mary Petiet compiled a list of spooky Halloween destinations all over Europe, including two from here in the Netherlands:

 Main banner credit: Audrey Coggins

The post Halloween in Amsterdam 2020 appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

“The snake can also shed its skin, which we can imagine as a metaphor for the idea of the stages of life, or even the idea of successive lives.”—Mary Petiet, Minerva’s Owls

“It would be all so easy if you had a map to the Maze. If the same old routines worked. If they’d just stop moving “The Cheese.” But things keep changing …”—Dr. Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese?

Two weeks ago we finished shedding our skins and moved the cheese.

We are starting a new adventure. We have given away, sold, or donated most of our possessions. Right now we each have one trunk full of Important Things, one suitcase full of clothes, and six boxes of winter gear in transit to arrive at a later date.

All family heirlooms have been wrapped, boxed, and stored in the attic, making me wonder if I am actually a curator for the next generation, but that is another story. We have rented our home of nearly 20 years to another family. We are traveling light. We have divided our time, relocating from my native Cape Cod, where we will return each summer like migratory birds, to my husband’s native Netherlands, where we will spend our winters.

We brought the children and the cat.

Shedding the skin took longer than moving the cheese. I think it started about a year ago, when we first took the idea of moving seriously. We thought about it, talked about it, imagined it, and finally last March we traveled as a family to Holland to really investigate it. We went native. We jumped on bikes, we looked at schools and houses and settled on a town we liked. The bikes offer a healthy freedom, the schools an excellent education in a child-centric world, and the entire place resonates with a safe calm. The Pilgrims left the Dutch town of Leiden for Plymouth in 1620. We could leave New England for Holland in a reverse migration.

Back in the States we decided to make it happen.

Shedding Skin

Starting this new adventure meant sprucing up the house for renting and clearing out almost 20 year’s worth of accumulated stuff. Each item shed represented another skin, especially my books.  As we shed, we lightened the load both physically and emotionally, and the distinction between owning stuff and being owned by stuff became clear. It was a grand purge of stuff, a Viking funeral of sorts, with the hope these things would continue to blaze on as someone else’s treasure. Gifting, yard sales, craigslist, donations, and dump runs, for months on end it seemed.

How had a family of four accumulated so much?

Through all the shedding and the letting go, there was one profound moment, one hugely green, green light discernible as we let go of the hardest thing without intending to, our black pointer lab mix Daisy. We had every intention of bringing her with us, which is as complicated as you’re probably imagining, but two months before we left she was diagnosed with lymphoma. She died within two weeks.

I wonder if she didn’t want to leave her marshes and her sand flats. She was an ocean dog and we were heading to inland Holland. In the oddest way her surprising departure was a form of permission, a final shedding of the entire skin I’d wrapped myself in before, the comfortable skin of rambling beach walks and the smell of wet dog in the wayback of my big American car.

If you’re heading out on a big adventure, it’s easier to move your cheese after you’ve said goodbye and shed your many, many skins.

Moving Cheese

In his book Who Moved My Cheese? Dr. Spencer Johnson presents an allegory featuring four mice who live in a predictable maze with a predictable hunk of cheese in a predictable place—until one day the cheese is moved to a new place, forcing the mice to adapt.

When the kids were little we saw Who Moved My Cheese? performed as a play by the Sunday school at the Barnstable Unitarian Church. The concept stuck, and every so often one of us would feel that feeling that comes with change and say, “Hey, who moved my cheese?”

We have been in Holland for two weeks. Right now our cheese is probably somewhere at the bottom of the harbor, and the absence of the old cheese is what is allowing the new cheese to age. Cheese takes time, it needs to cure in special places.

My husband ended up with a great job opportunity in the Netherlands. He is opening a Dutch office for his US company. My kids have the freedom of their bikes, are making friends, and have started attending excellent Dutch schools, which is an amazing academic opportunity for them. They’re finding their cheese as they learn Dutch, and each Dutch word they gain grows a bit more new skin to cover the tender bits where the old skin shed. We are staying at my in-laws’ house in a beautiful town called Laren, which I think of as a sort of Osterville without the sea, until our own house in the adjoining town of Bussum is ready next week.

We have traded the stuff for the adventure. We are making our own shift through a larger world in flux, and we find ourselves fitting into new skins just outside of Amsterdam, and luckily, the Dutch excel at cheese.

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